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Protect Yourself From HIV and Other Infections

HIV is present in the blood, semen, and vaginal fluids
of a person who is infected with HIV and is usually spread by:

Unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) with a
person who is infected with HIV. Using condoms is the only way to prevent
getting or spreading HIV during sexual contact. Other forms of birth control do
not protect against HIV.

Using a needle or syringe that has
previously been used by a person who is infected with HIV. Needles include
those used for injecting drugs or steroids.

The following preventive steps can eliminate your risk of getting HIV
from someone you are caring for.

Wear vinyl or latex gloves if you may have
contact with blood or body fluids from a person who is infected with HIV. Also,
cover any cuts, sores, or breaks in your exposed skin. Wear rubber gloves when
cleaning articles soiled with urine, feces, or vomit to avoid infection with
other germs, even though HIV has never been spread by contact with these body
products.

Wash your hands with soap and water after any contact
with blood, even if you wear gloves.

Handle needles or lancets
carefully to avoid sticking yourself if you are caring for someone who is
injecting medicine or must test his or her own blood (for diabetes). Do not put
caps back on needles by hand. When handling used syringes, pick them up by the
barrel and carefully drop them into a puncture-proof container.

If
you stick yourself with a used needle, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and
water. Contact your doctor as soon as possible to get further evaluation and
perhaps treatment with antiviral medications. The risk of developing an HIV
infection is slight (about 1 in 300), but this risk can be greatly reduced if
you get treatment right away, preferably within 1 to 2 hours.1

If you are a caregiver for a person who is infected with HIV:

Wash clothing and linens as you normally would.
The clothes do not need to be separated from the rest of the household laundry.

Separate dishes or eating utensils are not needed. Dishes used by
a person infected with HIV do not require special methods of
cleaning.

Let the person infected with HIV prepare meals if he or
she would like to. The virus cannot be spread through food
handling.

Do not share razors or toothbrushes with anyone who has
HIV because these items sometimes have blood on them.

Flush down
the toilet all liquid waste that contains blood.

Place in a
plastic bag all items that are soiled with blood, semen, or vaginal fluid and
are not flushable, such as paper towels, sanitary pads and tampons, and wound
dressings. Close the bag securely before placing it in a trash container. Check
with your health professional or local health department to be sure you are
following proper disposal regulations for your area.

A person who is infected with HIV can sometimes have other infections
that may be contagious. The following steps can prevent the spread of other
infections.

Gastroenteritis may cause diarrhea in a
person who is infected with HIV. Wear gloves if you come in contact with the
person's feces, and wash your hands carefully with soap and water afterward.
You should not prepare food for others if you have diarrhea.

Tuberculosis (TB) may be the cause of a cough that has
been present for more than a week or two in someone who has HIV. Anyone who
lives with or visits the home of a person who has TB should be checked by a
doctor, even if no cough has developed.

Chickenpox can
cause serious problems for a person who has HIV. Avoid contact with anyone you
know who has chickenpox.

Herpes simplex
can be spread by kissing or touching the fever blisters or cold sores around
the mouth or nose of a person who has HIV.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be present in urine and saliva of a person who has HIV. Wash
your hands carefully after touching the person's saliva or urine. Wear latex
gloves if you know you are going to come in contact with urine. This is
particularly important if you are pregnant because a pregnant woman who becomes
infected with CMV may give the virus to her baby.

Citations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005).
Updated U.S. Public Health Services guidelines for the management of
occupational exposures to HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis.
MMWR, 50(RR-09): 1–17. Available online:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5409a1.htm.

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